Defense cuts a no-fly zone?

For once, the unthinkable in Washington seemed within reach. From liberals to tea party conservatives to a defense secretary who served in a Republican administration, all agreed — it was time to begin reining in the Pentagon budget.

Then along came Libya.

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Just as the debt debate ramps up on Capitol Hill, the lead role the United States is playing in the military action against Libya threatens to scramble an emerging consensus over the need to trim defense to reduce the deficit. Despite the broad coalition targeting the Pentagon budget, cuts were always going to be a tough sell at a time of two wars — let alone as the military intervenes in a third country.

“It is just plain vanilla that it will make it harder to cut defense in the near term,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist with close ties to congressional Republicans. “We’re going to have to fund more of this than you realize.” (See: President Obama faces hard Libya sell)

The airstrikes are already being used by some in the Republican establishment to blunt momentum in favor of the cuts, long considered heretical in a town in which defense contractors constitute a formidable lobby and members of Congress view the Pentagon budget as a jobs program and fear being tagged as unpatriotic. (See: Fiscal cloud still hangs over Congress)

Squeezed by political forces to his right and his left, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) has led the charge against efforts to scale back defense spending.

“This would be one of those examples that can be used to buttress his argument that now is not the time for deep cuts in defense,” said Josh Holly, the committee’s communications director. The chairman’s concern is “not being properly positioned to deal with the contingencies that might be on the horizon, whether that be a modernizing military in China or (a military action) in Libya.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), through his spokesman, echoed McKeon: “Congress should be very careful and cautious about any reductions in defense spending, given the many profound responsibilities shouldered by our military at this time.” (See: Gates, Clinton tout success in Libya)

Former New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici, a Republican who co-chaired the Bipartisan Policy Center’s debt-reduction task force, said the country’s fiscal outlook is so bleak that nothing should sidetrack the campaign to narrow the deficit with a mix of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security cuts; tax-code reform; and defense and domestic spending cuts.

Some predict the military intervention will reawaken the public’s war weariness, undercutting support for the Pentagon by showing Washington’s general lack of restraint at a time of deep deficits. Experts said the Libya conflict’s price tag will top $1 billion.

But Domenici suggested the Libya conflict could dull the political will to make real cuts.